SAF Club Gets Underway in Tennessee

Oliver Springs High School TBF Angler Club kicked off its initiation tournament Saturday, October 10 at Caney Creek Watts Bar in Roane County. The club has 18 student angler members, and on Saturday 14 students, 9 boats and boat captains showed up at safe light in drizzling rain to officially initiate our club. At the 2:00 weigh in Zac Seiber came in first place with 6.56 points followed by second place Cary Gann 4.28 points and third place Dustin Mayton 3.44 points.

In September Mark Gintert, TBF National Youth Program Coordinator, visited Oliver Springs High School and met with a standing room only crowd to present the program and answer questions about starting a TBF school fishing club. Excitement was great and the club was quickly formed. The TBF school sponsor is Deborah Rice. Student TBF Club President Bradley Stringfield and Vice-President Brandon Finney.

The club members meet once a month during school club time and we are planning additional tournaments. Also, we are gaining new members as the word spreads about this awesome recreational activity. Community support has been great with offers of boat captains and boats and one parent has offered to provide every student member official club tee shirts. This club has caused great excitement at Oliver Springs High.

TBF Announces 2010 Youth Grant Award Winners

Earlier this year at the NGJWC in Pittsburgh PA, The Bass Federation announced a new youth grant program designed to spur the growth of junior bass clubs across the country.

Each state had an opportunity to submit an application for the $1500 award that is designed to help the winners increase the awareness of the TBF Junior Angler Program in their state.

There are two of these grants available, and for 2010, the winning states are Ohio and Virginia.

“Each of these respective states laid out a very good plan of how they intend to use the funds and really try to motivate not only the young anglers in their state, but the adults who have not gotten involved with the youth program yet,” cited TBF National Youth Director Mark Gintert.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the youth directors and presidents in both Ohio and Virginia to implement their plans and really get the word out about what we have to offer,” added Gintert.

“This is an attempt to put funding directly into the hands of those who need it the most and see what kind of progress they can make within their states,” added TBF Vice President Mike Dunkerley. “This is the first time that we have ever done a grant of this nature with the specific goal of growing our numbers. If these states are successful this may be a good model for us to build on in the future.”

The funds provided by this grant are intended for the purpose of printing literature and providing travel assistance for TBF personnel within that state while they are promoting the youth program at specific events. There is also a performance feature within the grant that rewards the state for adding new youth members through these efforts.

Congratulations to both Ohio and Virginia and stay tuned throughout the year as we track their results.

The Bass University!

The first event kicking off in Mike Iaconelli’s hometown of Runnemede, NJ on Dec 5th and 6th, 2009, will have professional anglers, Dave Wolak, Gerald Swindle, Dave Mansue, Greg Hackney, Mike Iaconelli and Pete Gluszek! Subsequent events to follow in January and February of 2010. Details of this kickoff event as well as all subsequent events can be found on www.thebassuniversity.com

Bass University registration costs per person vary from $225 to $160, with special discounts for groups of 5 or more and discounts for members of TBF!

Dallas, Texas

Dates: February 6 and 7, 2010

Speakers: Ish Monroe, Byron Velvick., Michael Iaconelli, Pete Gluszek Additional Speakers to be confirmed

Nashville, Tenn.

Dates: January 23 and January 24, 2010

Speakers: Dave Wolak, Gerald Swindle, John Crews, Randy Howell, Michael Iaconelli and Pete Gluszek

Sacramento, Calif.

Dates: January 9, 10, 2010

Speakers: Ish Monroe, Michael Bennet, Brent Ehrler, Gary Dobbins, Michael Iaconelli and Pete Gluszek

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BASS UNIVERSITY, the institution that creates advanced anglers, is the launch program created and hosted by professional anglers, Pete Gluszek (FLW) and Mike Iaconelli (BASS).

Mission: DEVELOPED for serious bass fishing enthusiasts as a tool to take anglers to the next level. Unlike any other bass fishing seminar, students will learn proven tactics and techniques from the world’s best anglers and gain access to the most cutting edge techniques, tackle, and equipment.

Products: A TWO-DAY INTENSIVE PROGRAM, taught by six of today’s top pro anglers in an easy-to-learn classroom style environment, kicked off by your hosts, Pete Gluszek and Mike Iaconelli. In addition to this exclusive, personal, and customized training, students will receive a one-year subscription to BASSIN’MAGAZINE ®, Course Literature, tackle gift pack and official BU alumni T-shirt.

Bass University, unlimited potential, unlimited success.

Be part of the Institution for Advanced Anglers

Around the TBF Youth Newsletter – October 2009

As you have no doubt recognized these are tough times for the entire recreational industry and fishing is no exception!
 
With many of the major players in our sport experiencing significant cutbacks we (The TBF Youth Program) cannot sit back and wait for some magic funding to appear to keep our programs growing.Now is the time to take action and learn to control our own destiny!
 
And we have just the program to do it.
 
Our new TBF Eyewear program is coming your way and the sky’s the limit when it comes to your potential to earn money for your junior clubs. If you didn’t see the press release last week this is probably the best potential source of funding that we have ever put together and the best part is we aren’t dependent on a sponsor to provide anything for us!
 
Here is how it works.
 
Every Junior Club in the country has the ability to sell an outdoor line of eyewear that was created by one of our own anglers, Gary Nesty of the Indiana Bass Federation. There are three lines of glasses to sell, the first is a line of ANSI approved shooting glasses that can also be used by anyone who is required to wear safety glasses to work or use them on the construction site or the farm. They come with both an amber lens and a gray lens and everything is contained in a very nice logo carrying case.
 
The second line is our Polarized Sunglass line that has something for everyone including a nice line of glasses for the ladies and cool camo frames for the outdoorsman. 
 
The third line is our Collegiate Sunglass line and these glasses are in the same category as high tech eyewear from Oakley and others at a fraction of the cost. These lenses can also be fitted for prescriptions and also come with their own carrying case.
 
The great thing about this program is that the profit that each club has the potential to make is unusually high for a fundraiser! Clubs can earn from $5.00 to $13.00 per pair in profit on each pair of glasses sold. And let’s face it everyone wears sunglasses or protective eyewear at some point in time so it’s a product that everyone can use.
 
We have started holding divisional conference calls with our state youth directors to go over the specific details so please check with your state YD or President about getting involved in this program or contact me at mark@bassfederation.com.
 
We can control our own destiny with the success of this program and all it takes is a little effort on the part of all of us to make it successful!
 
Until next time, don’t forget to take a kid fishing today!       Mark Gintert